Shadows
by Soko
Summary: Afraid of their everchanging paths, and the directions that lead them away from each other, Mimi conducts a trip. But this simple trip turns frighteningly deadly when from the shadows, someone starts a game of cat and mouse that continues from each place


This happens to be quite old, I was really quite appalled when I went back through it and found how horrible the writing was. I think Its actually one of the first things I ever wrote, and being such I'm very much determined to finish it. Even with only two chapters up before. (Chapter two will be taken down and reposted when it has met a very harsh critic, and revision, of then, which I hope to continue once again.) Though I'm not as active in my Mimato fan-ships, I do very much still love the couple. Please enjoy, and tell me what you think.

Shadows

In the clear September sky, petals dot the clear skyline with the setting sun. Fallen petals that dance with the wind to fall forgotten to the earth. If they should fall together, together will they remain? Or alone in the wind do they create a dieing dance.

Winters come, spring has passed, and summer will once again be coming to an end with the rolling winds of autumn closing in. So many adventures have come and gone, I can scarcely recall them all; they've finally been put to rest. Since our first adventure, through all our tough times, through our heartfelt battles, and tear filled triumphs; will things still remain the same? It seems that together we don't notice the changes in our lives; it seems things never change in our lives, like the passing of time we grow older and wiser; together we have remained.

Together and forever; always

But things change.

It was early autumn, and the petals danced in the wind alone; together in perfect unison. Outside the sky was clear, and the air sharply biting, but inviting non-the less. The gentle autumn winds softly caressed her skin, lifting colored and dying leaves from their places of rest to play within the breeze. Dancing in rhythm to the current of each small gust, grazing each other longingly with barely but a small embrace from the other; they played. And in her mind; memories danced together;

"Why are you hiding from her?" Taichi's voice rang throughout her ears once again; a memory that constantly replayed.

_It wasn't the deep voice and the question that created the memories constant replay; it was the silence the other left to linger. Would he never speak?_

_She'd turned to pass them, idly walking under the blossoming cherry trees, as they watched as she passed. He remained silent, his colored eyes following her down the long walkway, as the breeze ruffled his coat._

"_Or are you really just happy watching from afar?"_

The last words echoed together with the flipping pages within the breeze. She had tried to hide the hurt, the pain that she felt wash over her in sudden great waves. But despite her attempts, she couldn't stop the tears that fell as she picked up her pace, passing them quickly as she clutched tightly to her books.

A sad smile glossed her lips, her eyes lost in thought.

Childlike laughter echoed into the room from outside neighbors, catching her attention as golden leaves danced outside the window.

"Mimi the problem can't be that hard." Like the laughter, the voice within the room caught her sudden attention. Slowly, starting out of her daze, she brought her attention to the owners place. Tiredly she asked voicelessly for a repeat of the question, "Hm? Oh, no. I was just thinking."

Sora watched, worry hinting within her eyes as she placed her head to lie within her palm, solely focused upon her thoughts it seemed. Hikari to, as she looked up from her place of reading, seemed to find the vivacious brunette oddly solemn.

Her sudden voice startled them. "Hey… Sora. What do you think about a trip? I've always wanted to travel around a bit. I think it would be fun, just the three of us."

_And that was the start, of our grand adventure.

* * *

_

Departure

It took most of the early morning for her to rummage one final time through her belongings. Checking and rechecking everything that would be put to use during their month long excursion. Finding herself at the center of the many items of brown paper bags, luggage and miscellaneous items filled with food, clothes, and other needed items she let out a haggard sigh as she sunk to the floor.

She blinked in a sudden stupor as a tremendous yawn overtook her, having stayed up most of the night to sort through the last remaining tasks before morning. With heavy eyes, she looked about the room one final time before gathering her strength to push off the floor to stand.

"How am ever going to get this all downstairs?" Her voice cried hopelessly at the thought of the grueling task.

"Everything alright honey? Do you have everything?" Her posture quickly straightened at the sound of her fathers nearing voice, "Hai, I think I have everything Daddy."

Quickly she placed a smile upon her face.

Looking hurriedly to her watch she mocked astonishment, "Ah, that's right, the driver should be here rather soon. I'd better go down and meet him." And quickly gathering the waist high leather jacket from its crumpled position upon the floor, she slipped it fluidly over herself with a haste kiss to her father's cheek before crawling to the door.

Another yawn overtook her as the door shut behind her, and as she noticed for the first time, the dreary weather that seemed to overlap the sky. Blocking the suns warming rays behind darkening gray clouds with the threat of rain. It was with the distant roll of thunder that drew her once again from her walk of sleep as her feet landed upon the ground level step from her apartment that the remnants of her remaining smile faltered upon her lips.

Two people should be standing before her. Two. She was positive.

However, before her stood several pounds worth in body weight and luggage - to much luggage for two people. Recollecting her thoughts, and recalling past conversations with vivid detail, she counted.

Two, three, four, five, six…

Her head throbbed; confusion lacing through her eyes.

Had she missed something?

Two people should be standing before her, both female, and with very little luggage. Four males stood with them, four well-known males at that, with luggage at each of their sides.

"I think I'm missing something here." Her voice was barely audible. She fought hard not to turn around, and simply walk back to her apartment flat, crawl into bed and simply sleep off what was a horrible dream.

The throbbing continued. Raising a hand to her temple, she massaged lightly at her temple before bringing her right hand to rise as well, with a quick snap of her fingers, and a solid movement she motioned the two offending parties forward.

Uncertain giggles caught her attention, refraining her from further movement. Prying hands pushed lightly the two awaiting girls in question from behind. Unhurried steps followed suit as they drew closer, keeping safely to a distance.

Taichi, Daisuke, Ken, and Takeru took two steps back in unison at the murderous look suddenly present within her eyes.

"I'm not sure I want to know, but lets just say for the sake of arguments…" Mimi inhaled softy, slightly lulled by the layers of silver bracelets about her arm that danced and sang with her movement; thinking aside that she would have given anything to have been lulled to sleep instead.

Sora's uncertain laughter rained once again, higher in volume. Gently, Mimi sat at the curbs end, holding her head to hover inches before her knees. "You're not helping yourself." Pausing only to take in another tired breath, she gave in. "Did you get a larger camper? And Greg, did you tell the driver?"

Unanswered, she finally rolled her head to look dangerously into Sora's eyes, "Sora?"

"H-Hai." The answer was too weary and slightly frightened at the look she found within her eyes. "And d-don't worry, everyone's already been informed, and the boys pitched in for the larger camper and hotels."

Mimi nodded reluctantly, suddenly finding herself upon the curb, any point in arguing having long left with her will to fight. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath, catching the scent of rain that lingered in the air, and listened to the sounds about her.

Sighing she looked to find some semblance of order within the chaos that now surrounded her, but the thought seemed dismal in itself. To her surprise, however, things seemed to be running rather smoothly on it self; giving her some much needed peace.

Sora conducted, as Hikari, Ken, and Daisuke brought down luggage from her flat; Leaving Takeru and Taichi to load things upon the arriving camper as it pulled up.

Waving tiredly to the driver as he pulled up, she made her way inside, taking in the simple details of the inside. While it wasn't as nice as the original camper suited for three people, the larger one suited its purpose well.

The camper, much larger than any she'd seen, was decorated in delicate and simplistic taste, with an even simpler outlook.

From the front, as she came in, several beds, bunked upon each other stayed to the middle, all surrounding a small and rather simple black television. To the right, a narrow door lay hidden in the corner, connecting to a small nook of a bathroom. Past the bedroom, a swinging push in door closed off the kitchen; equipped with the bare essentials with an out looking rear window upon the RV's back, simple blue curtains overhanging to the sides. The camper's sides themselves also included large, tinted and curtained windows, giving light to its darkened insides.

With a quick look around, she settled once again back into the bedrooms, falling to one of the lower bunks to look out the window it stayed against with a comfortable sigh. Fighting off the urge to simply curl up upon the plush bed, it was then that she noticed, that of the first digital team, only one person was unexplainably missing. Jou, and Koushiro, she knew to be busy with things with their schools, and Iori and Miyako were off on family vacations. Where was –

"Mimi! Yamato will be a little late, he had to find a way to slip out of the house without _someone_ noticing, thanks to big mouth over there." Taichi's voice carried into one of the open RV windows, he himself moving down to help with luggage as his headshot towards Daisuke's direction.

Her chest tightened.

Taking in another deep breath, she closed her eyes momentarily as she exhaled before slowly opening them once again. The four boys outside continued to carry items and baggage down from two flights of stairs, as Sora and Hikari stayed seemingly hidden from view at the moment. Pushing away any lingering thoughts, she moved her line of vision from the many items littering the street to the corner street farther down. This early, it wasn't common for very many people to venture forth, the smart gathering what little sleep they could in a city that seemed to never sleep.

It was with few exceptions, she noticed an elderly lady passing by with her small Pomeranian, both of whom seemed to snub forward as they passed a rather dingy man. Her nose turned high, the elderly woman still seemed to reek of gossip to come, and could hardly fight the urge to look back once again with a disapproving gaze. The man himself didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't care. Dressed in gray, a black that had faded from overuse, the man wore nothing distinctive. Black; from head to toe.

Mimi herself stifled a small bout of laughter at the old woman's nature, as she tried to find the mans eyes; but they too were hidden by the dingy looking black rain hat upon his head. Upon closer inspection, his pants seemed rather ruffled, his dark jacked open with several buttons missing. His face too seemed rather stubbly, as if he had not shaved within several days. One could almost call him homeless. However, it was the way he carried himself that seemed to draw otherwise.

As she tried to peer closer, a sudden soft breath caught her attention, whispering gently against her neck. Instinctively, her body jumped; and a gently hand befell atop her head, holding it from hitting the underside of the higher bed.

"Looking for someone?"

Her heart seemed to freeze, constricting once again within her body. She fell to a complete standstill at once, before managing to slip into a charade'd mask one again.

"I'm not sure yet." Her voice was barely above a whisper. But it was more than she could have hoped for, having felt her voice would have become broken.

But it was in truth, that she had stolen a fleeting glance down his taken path in hopes of catching sight of him.

Still frozen, she suppressed the shiver that threatened to spill down her spine, and listened to his soft breathing as she kept her eyes and body forward, the hand atop her head sliding to her shoulder.

"I wouldn't have missed it." he reassured.

She smiled.

Forever seemed to pass in an instant as the words pressed against her ear, fading into nothing but the rhythmic breathing against her neck.

"_Why are you hiding from her?" _The voice echoed once again through her ears within her mind, _" You're only hurting yourself… and her, not knowing."_

"I wouldn't have missed it either!" Another voice cried closely from behind. Expecting something of the sort, Taichi popped in closely from behind, managing to startle both with his unannounced entry.

Mimi jumped again, startled, hitting her head on the above bed. Biting her tongue, she forced down a cry as a loud thump and string of curses followed her from behind.

A slight moan slipped from his lips, before regaining his composure to turn threateningly to the uninvited interruption.

A laugh spilled from her lips in amusement as a pillow swung and narrowly missed the brunette. In truth, she hadn't laughed in several long days, having been so consumed by her own thoughts.

It was a welcome reproach.

Sinking back down once again into the bed, she turned back towards the window, noticing for the first time the several people that had gathered outside the RV. Their presence alone seemed to have subdued the chaos six teenagers had themselves managed to create.

"Looks like we have guests." Yamato said, placing his hand over the frame of the higher bed and lowering his head to the windows level.


End file.
